just for fun

I've always thought it would incredibly special to have twins...and last night I was able to get just a slight foretaste of what it might be like.

Children under 4 are not allowed in prisons for services, so last night while my family went in, I stayed out in the bus to babysit Charissa, along with another friends' little boy. The really fun thing was that David is only several weeks younger than Charissa. To top it off, they even had matching shirts, jeans, and white shoes. It was like having twins...except that they really didn't know each other! It was so cute watching the two of them -- since they are both the youngest of a large family of doting siblings, I'm not sure they knew what to think of the other! [smile]

:: food makes a great ice breaker ::

Peek-a-boo!

Designed with a purpose:

God's eternal purposes and plans are far more important than the things that fill our vision and consume our thinking...often paling in significance when I remember that "It's not about me; it's all about Him."

Before we can respond in a godly way to the circumstances of life, we must first settle this basic issue: What is my purpose in life? If our goal in life is to be happy or accepted or loved, then anything that threatens our well-being will be an enemy -- an obstacle to fulfilling our objective.

On the other hand, once we agree with God that we exist for His pleasure and His glory, we can accept whatever comes into our lives as part of His sovereign will and purpose. We will not resent, resist, or reject the "hard things," but embrace them as friends, sovereignly designed by God to make us like Jesus and to bring glory to Himself.

We will be able to look into His face and say, "It's not about me. It's about You. If it pleases You, it pleases me. All that matters is that You are glorified."

-- Nancy Leigh DeMoss in Lies Women Believe

"By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible... All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."

Colossians 1:16-17

Too cute

Like the flower

Jesus told them: "Don't you be concerned

I will be there at each and every turn

Like the sparrow I'll meet your every need.

To the flower I send the morning rain,

When you need me I will do the same."

In His heart at times He knew I'd be

that sparrow learning how to fly,

that flower reaching for the sky,

growing up underneath His watchful eye --

I'm that sparrow.

I'm that sparrow, watch me fly!

I'm that flower, reaching to the sky --

'cause learning to trust

is all a part of life.

Like the sparrow.

[song lyrics: author unkown]

Today

...is a momentous day in the history of my life:

three years ago today, my long awaited camera arrived in the mail!!!

I think it was love at first sight. [smile]

I'll never forget that day because it came in the mail just minutes before we had to walk out the door on a trip. I threw everything in a bag to just bring along, but alas -- I couldn't take any pictures or even turn the camera on because I needed to charge the batteries first. It was one long drive of reading the manual, just waiting until I could actually DO something with my new Nikon D70! But once I finally could get it charged and working -- I seriously became addicted.

It is hard to believe that three years have already passed, yet I have found to be very true what Dorthea Lange once stated:

"A camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera."

Oh the joys of being able to live and capture precious moments, remembering the faithfulness of my Lord.

"Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth...He is the Lord our God."
Psalms 105:5, 7

Proverbs 16:1

"The preparations of the heart belong to man,

but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord."

It is the God-governed and not the self-governed life which counts the most, which is the best worth while.

~AN

Random photo

No -- I didn't take this one. [smile]

I have been sorting and organizing the last 25 years of Wissmann family snapshots the past few days, and couldn't resist sharing this one with you all and giving you a peek of what we looked like when there were only seven in our family. So many years ago -- but each and every year has been filled with the faithfulness of the Lord. What a mighty God we serve!

"...forget not the works of God,
keep His commandments..."
Psalms 78:7

On the lighter side

I have now been blogging for two whole years. Okay, so it was really two years ago yesterday since my first post, but I couldn't let the occasion go by without any recognition. [smile] I could get all serious now and type a long tribute and say how much I've enjoyed blogging, how much I've enjoyed hearing (and meeting!) many of you, how much I have learned, ect.... but I opted for something a little on the lighter side this time.

Now if any of you are at all familiar with blog birthdays, they are usually the understood opportunity for authors to ask all their readers to comment so they know who all is reading their little corner of the web. (Or maybe they just like comments and that is the best way to get them!!) I'm sure it varies from blogger to blogger. [smile]

If you already are a faithful commenter -- here's yet another new post for you to chime in with your two cents. If you've commented once or twice before -- wasn't that easy? Go for it again! And last but not least, I'd like to address all you lurkers out there; yes, YOU! This is definitely the post for you to break the ice and introduce yourself, or -- if you already know me, just drop a comment to say you lurk here!


Originally, I was going to ask you all to give your name and where you are from, but then my sister Rachel did that just last month with our family blog. [And she got 100+ comments!]
:: hint, hint ::

So then I was going to ask you to type your name and your favorite song. But then I figured that was a pretty broad question and some of you might not comment due to the fact that you just don't know what your favorite song is. After all, I don't know what my favorite song is, so that option is definitely out.

Then I was going to ask you to post your name and weight, but I figured that might be a bit personal.

Since none of the above are an option, I guess I'll just ask you to give your name....


and...



*drum roll*


...what color your toothbrush is! (Surely, surely -- you all have one of those!)



I'll start it off:

Bethany
aqua

And now it's your turn to run to the cupboard and see what color YOU have!

Daily life

"Man the fort! Watch the road!

Strengthen your flanks!

Fortify your power mightily!

For the Lord will restore excellence..."
Nahum 2:1

It is one thing to go through a crisis grandly, but another thing to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, no one paying the remotest attention to us...

It takes God's Spirit in us to make us so absolutely humanly His that we are utterly unnoticeable.

Oswald Chambers

Psalms 54:2

"Hear my prayer, O God;

Give ear to the words of my mouth."

We never know how God will answer our prayers,

but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answers.

If we are true intercessor's, we must be ready to take part in God's work

on behalf of the people for whom we pray.

-Corrie ten Boom

I'm excited!

I just returned from the post office to drop off my application form to the Institute of Photographic Studies! You see, I've been praying and hoping that someday I would be able to attend the course "Prizewinning Photography," and am so thrilled that Course 28 (which will be held April 13-18th in Dallas Texas), is being held during a time when our family minsitry schedule will allow me to go.


And I'm just curious -- might any of my blog readers be attending?

Calvary's Love

If...

I am inconsiderate about the comfort of others,
or their feelings,
or even of their little weaknesses;
if I am careless about their little hurts and miss opportunities to smooth their way;
if I make the sweet running of household wheels more difficult to accomplish,

then I know nothing of Calvary's love.

Amy Carmichael

My little helper

(Okay -- so I'm not sure if I should use the word 'helper' or not...if the task at hand takes twice as long when she is helping, was she really a help?!) We had tons of fun, anyway, and it was a delight watching Charissa learn. A few more lessons and I think she'll be ready to do it on her own! [grin]

Matching aprons and everything -- we are ready to do some some baking!

I think cracking eggs was a new concept for her to grasp...

[smile]

:: pouring the liquids in ::



Meet the newest bread baker of the family!
(and aren't we ever glad for that apron!)

What do you pray for?

With the beginning of a new year, many people use the opportunity to make a fresh start: setting new goals, making resolutions, prayerfully considering what God might have for them in the 366 days that will make up the year 2008 (remember -- it's a leap year!)

As I was praying about my desires concerning this new year, I read a quote by a Christian Indian medical student, Michael Job, who was killed in June of 1999 because of his father's evangelistic activities. It really made me stop and think: what do I truly desire? And am I praying towards that end?

"I asked for strength --

and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for wisdom --

and God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity --

and God gave me brain and brawn to work.

I asked for courage --

and God gave me dangers to overcome.

I asked for love --

and God gave me opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted --

I receieved everything I needed.

My prayer has been answered."